A lot of children with autism might exhibit developmental issues during their toddler and infant years, particularly in communication and social skills.
There could be some difficulties with spoken language, or in their interactions with their peers. But, children on the autism spectrum typically sit, crawl and walk at a regular pace. Therefore, the more subtle variations regarding the growth of gesturing (pointing) and pretend play, and social language tend to be ignored by the parents and medical professionals.
Here’s information on three early signs for autism in children.
The delay or the lack of collective focus or lack of joint
One of the biggest differences in development among children with autism spectrum disorders and children who do not have ASD is a slowing and/or lack of joint focus. Indeed, a lack of joint attention are seen in the majority of children with ASD.
What is the meaning of joint attention?
Joint attention is the process of looking back and back and forth between an object or incident and another individual and interacting with the other person. It’s a foundation to later social and communication abilities. Engaging in numerous back-andforth social interactions, for example exchanging many emotions, sounds, and other gestures is known as reciprocal social interaction.
Joint attention stages for toddlers and infants
There are various stages of jointly paying attention. Children with autism typically exhibit delayed or missing social communication abilities at every stage.
As an example, here are the ages that toddlers and babies typically make use of and comprehend gestures during the following times in comparison to children who are on the autism spectrum.
Making use of and understanding gestures, like the act of pointing
At the age of 12 months
A majority of children are able to immediately look towards the object that a parent is pointed towards. They then turn their eyes at their parent from a different angle and mirror the expression of the parent generally smiling.
Children who are on the autism spectrum can appear to avoid parents. This could cause parents to be concerned about their child’s hearing.
At the age of 15 months
The majority of children can point out objects out of their reach that they want.
A child who is on the autism spectrum might instead grab the hand of a parent and lead the parent towards the object, without making much or even any eye contact. Sometimes, the child could hold the parent’s hand on the object.
Aged 18 months or older
The majority of children will point at objects they find fascinating. Children will glance at the object and their parent to ensure that the parent is in tune with what they are seeing.
Children who are on the autism tend to point at an object in order to get parents to purchase the item for them and not because they want their parent to take pleasure in looking at the object together.
Language delays and differences in ASD
Most children who fall on the autism spectrum exhibit delays in nonverbal communication as well as spoken language. For instance, you could observe differences in the following:
Labels and labels are used to identify products.
A child who is on the autism spectrum might have words they use to describe objects, such as but they do not use them to ask for items. They may also use words for objects, but not for family members or friends.
Echoing and repeating
The majority of children in the early years go through an era when they repeat the words they hear. Children with autism spectrum can repeat the things they hear for an extended period. They can also repeat conversations or dialogues from movies in the their voice. This is known as echoing or parroting.
A few children who are later diagnosed with the autism spectrum appear to have reached milestones in language in the early toddler years. However, their usage of language could be different. For instance, they could be more adult-like than an infant.
The regression in milestones of development and abilities
Around 25% of the children who are later being diagnosed as having autism spectrum disorders might acquire a language is suddenly stopped or slowly use. This typically happens between the age of 15 to 24 months. It is also possible that they become socially isolated. This is known as an inverse change in abilities.
The screening of toddlers to detect ASD
The AAP suggests that all children are examined for autism spectrum disorders at the time of their 18- or 24-month check-ups for well-child health along with regular surveillance of their development. Research suggests that starting interventions as quickly as possible will improve the outcomes for children who are with autism.
Remember
If you are concerned regarding how your child behaves or learns, talks or acts discuss it with your pediatrician. Keep in mind that you know your child better than anyone else as well. Your concerns and questions are vital.
Together you and your doctor will discover the most effective way to assist your child. Don’t wait. Being proactive early can have a huge impact in the growth of your child.
